East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) may not be able to comply with the National Green Tribunal’s recent directive aimed at tackling water borne diseases before May 23.

The tribunal has appointed a 10-member panel to investigate the ground reality over the number of water related diseases in the city and the records by different government agencies. Each of these members would associate with the municipal corporation officials in their jurisdiction and visit residential colonies. The team would visit households to check possible mosquito breeding grounds and look into desilting of drains to prevent waterlogging during monsoons. During this drive, the role of the municipal councilors for assistance as per the NGT directive would be crucial.

But the EDMC municipal commissioner’s office seems clueless about involving the municipal councillors as they are yet to take oath. A senior official in the office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told City Spidey, “EDMC is ready to implement the court’s [NGT] order. The office has received a copy of the order and all preparations have been made. The heads of divisional commissioners of all three zones have been ordered to assist the court’s panel. But the operation can begin only after May 23 as the oath ceremony is yet to take place. A letter in this regard will be sent to the mayor’s office but the new mayor is yet to take charge.”

During the hearing of a plea filed by a resident on May 11, NGT had said that the members of the panel (appointed as commissioners), divided into small groups of two to three members each, would visit areas under the three municipal bodies to see the steps taken. NGT’s order has come after failure of the Delhi government and the MCDs to submit a report on water related diseases in the city.